At the end of the day, who is the person who constantly shows up for you? Who shows up for you consistently? Who carries you through it all? Who is there through thick and thin, every hour, and every quiet moment, when no one is there to see? Who hears every inside thought and stays anyway?
It’s you.
Doing things alone, being comfortable doing these things alone, and enjoying it is its own kind of quiet strength.
Yes, there are times when we find extreme comfort in the presence of our closest friends or companions, and yes, it may distract us from the storm that is brewing inside. But there are times when you need to be alone. Moments when solitude is not optional, but necessary. Times when you need to be your own person.
When you want someone to lean on and to come hold you and wash away the day that took more than it gave. You need to learn to lean on your own shoulder. When the idea of spending a moment alone, eating alone, or spending a night on your own makes you falter.
You need to learn to be at home with yourself. When you are hoping that someone will come along and love the parts of you that you see as flawed, this is the time you need to learn what you have to bring to the table. We can love each other and rely on one another, but at the end of the day, who is going to save you from yourself?
Independence is where you meet yourself; learn to be alone without feeling lonely.
This is a skill, not a punishment. There are so many misconceptions about solo individuals, as if being seen on your own automatically means you are isolated or longing for something more. As if being alone automatically makes you in need of some fixing, or places you beyond the reach of connection.
We need to realize that sometimes being alone is exactly where we are meant to be.
We forget that not every aspect of our lives needs to be shared; some moments are for you and you alone. We can crave companionship and still choose independence. The two are not complete opposites but are complementary to one another.
Learn your thoughts, your opinions, what brings you joy, what doesn’t, gives you a steadiness that no one else can provide. Learn to stand on your own: alone, but not lonely.